Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-11


of the dead divine The remains were dressed
in suit of black broadcloth, with the frock-
coat buttoned up and the right hand laid
| across the heart. The features were nat
| ural and there was smile upoH the face
The long gray hair was brushed back over
| the ears, the same as Mr. Beecher wore
it while alive. Early in the morning, be-
| fore the services Mrs Baecher went into
| the parlor and stood nv the coffin for some
| time. She bent over the remains. and,
after imprinting kiss upon the cold
| lips was led into the back room.
Promptly at $50 O'clock the Rev Charles
Hall, Of the Church of the Holy Trinity,
entered the house After a short converse
ton with Maj J B Pond lie entered the
| front parior and commenced to read the
burial service from the ritual of the Episco-
pal church. A quartette sang Jesus, Lover
OF My Soul ''Beyond the Signing and the
Neering," and Come, Holy Spirit" When
the service was completed Mr.. Hall spoke
for about fifteen minutes, and was very
much affected In the course of his address
| he said.
| 1t was q custom among the Hebrews that
| when one of their number died priest knelt
| and whispered In his ear: Jehovah. thy
| God, will keep thee" These were the last
words of earth which smote on the senses Of
| the dying man. And when death had come
| and the heart ceased to beat the b,dv was
| carried out of the house and placed on the
| ground, and a candle was placed at the head
| and one at the feet, beautifully significant
| of the fact that are all children of earth
and equal l. hardly needed this symbol TO
| assure rs that our beloved brother whose
| face We nos see almost for the last time Wss
| a man Of the people. a republican of re-
| puhtlclns q democrat OF democrats. a man
of the common people There was no man ia
all the vide continent who was so dear to
| my heart as him who lies dead before me.
| There was no man whom I have ever met.
/ Or heard Of OF whose works have ever
| read, who impressed ne 50 deeply with the
| inspiration of the HOLY Spirit He was n
man OF men; the most manly man l
| ever saw; but was also man of God in the
| pre- eminent sense of the word
| vas especially drawn toward him because
| hate shame and believe that politeness.
| though all very well in its wav, is often too
| fell of iHsincarity. Mr. Beecher was there
| fore beloved Of me especially because he was
q man of transparent sincerity Why he
| loved Ire do not know Why | loved HIM.
| all men who ever knew him wen understand
| None of the family were in black, nor was
| there any Grape hung around the room. in
Difference 10 Mr. B-echer's well-krown Oh
/ jectiOn 10 such sOmbre evidences of grief. A
| few minutes before the remains were carried
out of the house to the hearse the rain ceased
the clouds passed aTav, and the sunshine
/ burst out bright and clear A raw shope
through the front window of the parlor
and. before the lid of the caskat was screwed
| down. rested upon the face of the great di-
vine lighting up and forming halo arouni
the head
| The casket was then placed in the hearse
and under escort Of the Thirteenth regiment
| followed by carriages containing members
| of the family and others, and to the sound of
muttad drums, taken TO Plymouth church,
where the sliding cover of the casket was
drawn back, the guard of honor took their
places and line of people who had been wait
ing was admitted to vicw the face of the be
| loved pastor, and for some time they streamed
| by passing up one aisle and down the other
| The church was decorated elaborately with
| flowers, FERNS etc, but no crane The
streets on the line of march from residence
to church were densely packed with people
reverently watching the funeral procession.
| When the doors were opened to the public
after the family had retired from the church,
g constant stream of people passed through
| to take last look at The face of the dead
| preacher. Hundreds were unable to gain
| pdmission, AM were turned away disau-
pointed.
| The Bartholdi battalion, of Grammar
| School No. Is, were to have been addressed
by Mr., Beecher ON the occasion of their re-
view by the mayor. The battalion. desiring
| to show their respect for the late clergyman,
marched, under command of Mai H. S
| johnson TUnr.fiaI al. J.,
strong. with muffiei drums, and passing
| through the church viewed the remains of
the great preacher, who always loved bows.
| The banner Of the battalion bore a large
wreath of irnmortelIes, aud was left in the
church The national colorS were folded
and bore another wreath Of immortelIes.
with the letters "B. b 10 in purple. Nc
| black was used but, instead. each boy wore
| flower in his buttonhole. During the school
| term tie boys of the second grammar class
in No. ID, will deliver on the platform every
| Friday morning quotations from the writ
ings and addresses of Mr. Beecher
| The church at night until il o'clock was
more crowded than during the afternoon.
| The line OF peope waiting to view the re-
mains extended frcrl the church to Fulton
street, nearly three blocks, and one block
down Fulton.
| DR. Edward McGlynn AMI Henry George
visited the Bsecher family residence Thurs
day and left messages of coincidence for Mrs
Beecher. Later they visited Plymouth
church, where they we're admitted by pri
vate way, and viewed the remains of the
dead clergyman.
At night the Beecher residence was brill.
iantlv lighted, and everything around the
house was male as bright as possible Mrs.
Beecher had been in her late husbands room
a great portion Of the afternoon looking oveI
his paners 1t seelns 10 be delight 20 her to
be near where her husband spent much Of his
time The members of the family were
dressed IN bright clothing, as though going
to church on Sunday, and everything around
was made as light and cheerful as possible,
in accordance with the oft expressed wish of
Mr. Beecher in case of his death
Mayor Whitney Thursday issued the fol-
lowing proclamation to the citizens of Brook
Ign:
Inasmuch as Friday, the 18th day of
March, has been designated for the public fu-
neral ceremonies of Henry Ward Beecher, and
the common council OF this city has directed
that the public offices shall be closed on that
day, earnestly request the citizens of Brook
Ign, so far as may be practicable, to CT ose
their respective places of trade and business
as mark of respect to the dead and as
token of sympathy to those who, living,
| mourns the dead.
At the opening of the circuit court Thurs
day morning Judge Bartlett announced that,
in Difference to the wishes expressed by many
members of the bar who desired to attend
the funeral of Mr. Beecher, the circuit court
] world nd mt ha cioSa of bucinpcc Thnra-